Package with carrying handle

ABSTRACT

A package with a carrying handle in which lugs are provided in one of the side walls of the package. The lugs are cut out and can be folded out of the plane of the wall about a base to a position at right angles to the plane and in the folded position form a handle. The bases are parallel to each other and are offset with respect to each other in the longitudinal direction.

United States Patent Marinissen et a1;

[is] 3,662,946 [451 May 16,1972

PACKAGE WITH CARRYING HANDLE inventors: Jan Philippus Comelis Mlrlnissen;

Frederik Alexander Nicolas Gerardus Arnold, both of Groningen, Netherlands Assignee: U.S. Phillips Corporation, New York, NY.

Filed: Apr. 22, 1970 Appl. No.: 30,647

Foreign Application Priority Data May 3, 1969 Netherlands ..6906798 U.S. Cl. ..229/52 B, 229/15 H, 224/45 AB Int. Cl. ..B65d /46, B65d 25/22 Field of Search... ..229/52 B, 52 BC, 1.5 B, 1.5 H;

220/ 1 -1 206/65 E, 65 C; 224/ AB, 45 BA, 45 H; 150/12 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,268,070 8/1966 Cunningham ..206/ C 2,779,499 1/ 1957 Chidsey, .lr.... .....206/65 C 2,771,236 11/1956 Claff et a1 ..229/52 B 2,661,142 12/1953 Hendrickson, Jr. .....229/52 B 2,060,781 11/1936 Annen ..229/52 B 3,120,903 2/ 1964 Cote ..220/1 12 Primary ExaminerGeorge E. Lowrance Assistant Examiner-Stephen Marcus Attorney-F rank R. Trifari [57] ABSTRACT A package with a carrying handle in which lugs are provided in one of the side walls of the package. The lugs are cut out and can be folded out of the plane of the wall about a base to a position at right angles to the plane and in the folded position form a handle. The bases are parallel to each other and are ofiset with respect to each other in the longitudinal direction.

5 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures Patented May 16, 1972 3,662,946

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.1

INVENTORS JAN P. C. MARINISSEN F K A. BY REDERI N G ARNOLD AGEN J Patented Ma 16, 1972 3,662,946

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.6 Fig.7

6 INVENTORS JAN 2 c. MARINISSEN FREDERIK A.N.G ARNOLD YMBY v AGENT The invention relates generally to the art of packaging, and more particularly to packages having a handle formed as a part thereof.

It is known to provide such a package with a few slots lying together so that the wall portion between the slots can be used as a handle. This arrangement frequently provides an effective solution. However, when requirements are imposed upon the strength of the construction, one has to resort to reinforcing strips or the like to be provided separately at the area of the wall portion between the slots. This however is a price-increasing factor.

It is also known to secure to the package a separate part formed as a handle, for example, by gluing, riveting or the like. This however is also not an inexpensive solution.

It is the object of the invention to provide a package which comprises a rigid handle which forms part of the packing itself and can be provided during the formation of the package.

The package according to the invention is characterized in that at least two lugs extend in the plane of the side wall, each comprising a recess and situated in at least one of the said side walls of the package. The lugs can each be folded about a base outwards and against each other to a position at right angles to said plane and in that position together form a handle while the two recesses are partly or fully situated against each other. The lugs can be cut, for example, by a punching operation and are then coupled to the side wall of the packing at their bases only. When the packing is not used, the lugs are situated in the plane of the package and do not disturb its appearance. When the package is to be transported, it is only necessary to push the lugs out of said plane, bring them together and hold them.

The lugs may be constructed with recesses provided in the edge of each lug, and the ends of the lugs remote from the bases may be hooked behind each other or be secured together by gluing or riveting. However, a handle is preferably used in which each lug has an aperture enclosed by the material of the lug. Such a set of lugs with recesses is preferably chosen to be congruent of shape. This simplifies the choice of tools when the lugs are to be cut from a plate of, for example, corrugated cardboard.

According to one embodiment the two lugs can be folded outwards about bases extending parallel to each other, for example, folding lines of equal length. When, viewed in a direction at right angles to the longitudinal direction of the bases, the two bases cover each other, the distance between the two bases may not come below a given value. This also depends upon the choice of the packaging material. A practical size for corrugated cardboard is, for example, 13 mm.

It has surprisingly been found that in designing a package such as contemplated herein, one is much less dependent upon the material choice and in connection therewith the minimum distance between the bases and a considerably higher resistance against tearing of the package material is obtained when it is ensured that the two bases are shifted relative to each other in the longitudinal direction over a distance of at least 20 percent of their longitudinal dimension. The improvement of the resistance against tearing, also as a result of a better transfer of forces between the package and the handle, is already so large, in the case of a slight displacement relative to each other in the longitudinal direction of the bases, that the bases can substantially coincide. When the bases of each lug is formed by a grooved seam in the case of corrugated cardboard or by a grooved seam in the case of a synthetic material, a practical measure of the distance between the two parallel seams may be said to be to 4 times the thickness of the material.

In order that the invention may be readily'carried into effect, a few examples thereof will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 shows a part of a package comprising a handle, and

FIGS. 2 to 7 relate to several embodiments of lugs cut in a wall of the package and forming handles in the position in which they are foldedoutwards.

The handle shown in FIG. 1 is formed from two congruent lugs l and 3 which are both provided with an aperture 5,7. These lugs I and 3 form part of the wall 9 of a package in the form of a box. For clarity, only a part of the upper wall of said package is shown.

The lugs 1 and 3 have been obtained by providing cuts 11 and 13 in the wall 9 shown diagrammaticallyin FIG. 2. The bases of the trapezoidal cuts which are rounded at their ends are denoted by the broken lines 15 and 17, along which bases the lugs l and 3 can be folded upwards. Said bases are formed by seams provided as grooves in a cardboard package and as grooves in a package of a synthetic resin. In a position in which the lugs are folded against each other, a handle is obtained as is shown in FIG. 1. Although it is not necessary, the

two lugs l and 3 can be permanently secured together in said latter position. In the non-folded position the lugs 1 and 3 form a part of the wall 9 and do not mar a package as such.

By providing the bases 15 and 17 shifted relative to each other in the longitudinal direction, the weight of the package with contents is favorably distributed over the handle. It has surprisingly been found that the resistance against tear at the rounded ends of the bases is considerably increased, so that the distance a can be chosen to be particularly small and nevertheless a large pulling force can be transferred. In accordance with the material chose, the distance a is 0 to 4 times the thickness of the chosen material. The displacement of the bases 15 and 17 relative to each other in the longitudinal direction is preferably chosen to be so that the ratio b/c exceeds 0.20.

FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 show further possibilities of shapes of cuts. In each case the bases of every two lugs are shown as a common line along which the lugs are folded. FIG. 6 shows an embodiment of lugs 19, 21 which do not show closed apertures 5 and 7 as in the preceding Figures, but recesses 23, 25. When the lugs are folded towards each other over the bases 27 and 29 extending in the elongation of each other, the ends 31 and 33 of the lugs can be hooked behind each other so that the lugs will be prevented from returning to their original position because of the resilience of the material. So in this manner a handle is also formed. Of course, the ends'3l and 33 may also be secured together by gluing or riveting.

Finally FIG. 7 shows a variation of FIG. 6. The lugs 35 and 37 each comprise a bent side edge formed by sides 39 and 41. For clarity the lug 35 is also shown as a replica and denoted by 43; in the folded position the sides 39, 41 and 45 and the surface 9 (see FIG. I) enclose a closed aperture.

What is claimed is:

l. A package with a carrying handle comprising a pair of lugs formed as cut-outs extending in a plane of one side wall of the package, each of said lugs having a base and being formed so that each lug can be folded outwards against each other about its respective base to a position at right angles to said plane, said bases being parallel to each other and offset with respect to each other in a longitudinal direction, and a recess formed in each of said lugs so that when said lugs are folded to a position at right angles to said plane the recess will be at least partially aligned with each other so as to form a carrying handle.

2. The package with a carrying handle according to claim 1 wherein the parallel parts of the bases are rounded in said plane at a point of transition between the base and the upright part of the lug.

3. The package with a carrying handle according to claim 1 wherein said bases are of equal length.

4. The package with a carrying handle according to claim 3 wherein said recesses are fully surrounded so as to form an enclosed aperture in said lug.

5. The package with a carrying handle according to claim 3 wherein said bases of equal length are offset from one another by an amount such that the shift is at least 20 percent of the length of one of said bases. 

1. A package with a carrying handle comprising a pair of lugs formed as cut-outs extending in a plane of one side wall of the package, each of said lugs having a base and being formed so that each lug can be folded outwards against each other about its respective base to a position at right angles to said plane, said bases being parallel to each other and offset with respect to each other in a longitudinal direction, and a recess formed in each of said lugs so that when said lugs are folded to a position at right angles to said plane the recess will be at least partially aligned with each other so as to form a carrying handle.
 2. The package with a carrying handle according to claim 1 wherein the parallel parts of the bases are rounded in said plane at a point of transition between the base and the upright part of the lug.
 3. The package with a carrying handle according to claim 1 wherein said bases are of equal length.
 4. The package with a carrying handle according to claim 3 wherein said recesses are fully surrounded so as to form an enclosed aperture in said lug.
 5. The package with a carrying handle according to claim 3 wherein said bases of equal length are offset from one another by an amount such that the shift is at least 20 percent of the length of one of said bases. 